


Epoch

by byeolino



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Angst, College AU, Eventual Smut, M/M, Romance, a bit dark, basically a murder mystery kind of setting while in college, changbin is chan's best friend while jisung is minho's, descriptions of violence and blood in the future, future chapters will contain violence and sexual content, kind of slice of life, minchan are the main characters and main ship, technically an ot8 story that has a focus on minchan, the other members are significant characters too, trigger warnings will be placed at the beginning of every chapter if applicable
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:08:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28189728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byeolino/pseuds/byeolino
Summary: Epoch (n.) a notable period of time in a person's life;Some say that starting college is a significant moment in your life. Bang Chan didn’t really care; not when the university he was entering was where misfortunes were made. Despite keeping a low-profile, Chan crosses paths with carefree Minho who adds some thrill to his life despite his denial. But misfortunes plague the university once more, and Chan realizes that keeping a low-profile is the least of his concerns if he wants to live.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Han Jisung | Han/Seo Changbin, Hwang Hyunjin/Lee Felix, Kim Seungmin/Yang Jeongin | I.N
Comments: 7
Kudos: 23





	1. Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> **[12/20/20]** I deleted the fic because I decided to rewrite things and start all over again!  
> If this seemed familiar (though I doubt it), that's because this fic series is based on a Twitter au I made before closing my account a few months ago. I’m continuing that au as a fic instead! Do read the tags carefully as I addressed what this fic will contain (trigger warnings will also be put at the **beginning notes** of every chapter).
> 
> For more context, background information and/or character profiles, the link to the original twt au is here!
> 
>  **Trigger Warning for this Chapter:** None

_They say starting your first year in college is going to be one of the most momentous and significant times of your life. So many memories are made in this phase of life, or so they say._

_Bang Chan didn’t care. Quite frankly, he didn’t really care about “momentous moments in life” or anything of that sort. There wasn’t much to look forward to anyway._

* * *

✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦

He was sleeping so peacefully, soft snores escaping his lips. If only he could just laze around at his own pace, living how he wanted without society’s standard. Suddenly, his phone rang, prompting Chan to groan in exasperation. Forcing himself to sit up, he grabbed his phone and read the reminder that caused the alarm: 

> _**[REMINDER]** Dorm stuff = dorm orientation + moving in_

“Ah, it’s today.” Chan mumbles to himself, sleepiness still plaguing his entire figure.

He rubbed at his face and forced all semblance of sleep out of his system. The male got ready, loaded his bags into the car and remained dead-silent as his father drove him to Yellow Wood University’s dorm area. Without a goodbye or receiving a goodluck remark, Chan heaved himself and his bags out of the car, indifferent and not turning back as his father drove off.

He could already see the crowd of first-years gathered by the dorm lobby, and he already wanted to roll his eyes and run away. He pushed his way through the crowd, ears grating at the overly-exaggerated giggles from a few girls not too far away. Settling by a table and couch at one of the more secluded corners, Chan finally let out his held breath, closing his eyes and hoping to get some sleep. When one girl ends up screaming - or screeching - in delight upon seeing a friend, Chan’s eyes shoot open, and he has to hold back the urge to shoot the girl a glare.

Sighing, Chan decides to just scan the room, not looking for anyone or anything in particular. However, his gaze locks with another male from across the room. The male tilts his head slightly, dark brown hair neatly and too-perfectly parted. His clothes were plain and simple, yet they look too luxurious for an average college student in his first year. The male then shoots Chan a wink, lips curling into an alluring smile.

_A wink. A random stranger who Chan never met just winked._

Well, admittedly, the male was handsome. His features were striking and almost model-like. Sculpted for perfection. Still, Chan found it quite disturbing, so he shot a glare. The other male seemed to have half-scoffed, half-laughed before using his phone. Chan internally rolls his eyes, but thankfully, the dormitory managers arrive and begin the orientation. 

After the two dorm managers were finally done speaking and stating their well-rehearsed welcoming remarks, so they began to explain the dormitory rules and whatnot. Shortly after, they also began to announce and call out the names of the residents and their respective roommates. Each pair was called and given a slip of paper for their room's digital lock passcode, and soon, students began to disperse to settle in their rooms.

Chan observed all the students who went up front to get their passcodes, taking note of the various types of people. There were seemingly chill and simple people, but there were also big-shot-looking rich kids. Of course, there were annoyingly loud and rude people. Chan internally rolled his eyes, wanting this all to be over. What was the hype anyway? Yellow Wood University was just like any other university.

“Lee Felix and Hwang Hyunjin.”

A handsome, princely looking male greeted the shorter, freckles-covered male with a bright grin. The shorter male made a remark that caused the taller to chuckle; with bright smiles, they took their things and chatted as they headed for the stairs leading to the upper floors. While doing so, the taller male showed the shorter one something on his phone, prompting the latter’s eyes to sparkle in delight.

“Kim Seungmin and Yang Jeongin.”

A regal looking male nodded at a sharp-eyed male before they both bowed respectfully in greeting. The sharp-eyed one flashed a wide grin and said something along the lines of “dibs on the bed closer to a window”, which made the classy-looking male shake his head with an amused smile. Chan could somehow decipher his response being “you can call dibs on any bed as long as you don’t bring in any boisterous friends”. With a smile from both, the two then took their things and walked towards their room casually.

“Han Jisung and Lee Minho.”

This pair seemed to be quite interesting, Chan noted. The shorter male was wide-eyed and chirpy, while the taller male seemed sharper and...sexier...if that made sense. Chan realized it was the male who winked and smiled at him from across the room. The taller male flashed a charming smirk and immediately started a conversation with the shorter male who was very much enthusiastic to engage with him. The pair then gathered their things and headed up the stairs without breaking their conversation.

“Seo Changbin and Bang Chan.”

Chan didn't catch the name of who his roommate was, much too preoccupied with just getting the passcode and settling in the dorms. Upon making it to the front, a male dressed in all-black with a red cap flashed him a warm smile and mumbled a quick “hey” before the dorm manager gave them their passcode. The two gathered their things and headed to the second floor.

Once inside the room, Chan shut the door, slightly irked by the students yelling and being rowdy outside. His roommate rolled his luggage bag to the middle of the room, gripping his backpack with his other hand. He turned around and pulled his cap off before smiling, “Well, guess we're roommates. I'm Seo Changbin.”

“Seo?” Chan says quietly, his expression neutral and calm, “Isn't your father…”

“That famous producer?” Changbin chuckles, shrugging, “Yeah, that's right. But I don't like bragging about it, so don't feel intimidated I guess. It's no big deal.”

Chan hums, nodding his head before his eyes remain glued to the wooden floor. The two stand in the room rather awkwardly, and Chan just wants to throw himself on the bed and sleep away. However, Changbin speaks up and grins, “And you are...?”

“Oh. Bang Chan.” he replies with a barely-there smile, “Chan.”

“Cool.” Changbin shoves one hand into the pocket of his jeans, “So...do you have a preference? Which bed do you want?”

Chan responds, “Either is cool with me.”

Changbin hums nonchalantly, dropping his backpack on the bed on the left, “Alright, I'll take this.”

“Ok.” Chan nods, trudging over to the bed on the right.

As soon as Chan flops onto the bed, his roommate lets out a soft chuckle before gesturing towards the door. “l have to call my mom first,” he begins, “but you wanna grab lunch with me after? Since classes don't start 'til tomorrow, we can go around the campus and familiarize ourselves with the place.”

Chan ponders on the thought for a second before sitting up, “This is a huge ass campus though.”

“Then...just whatever area we can cover?” Changbin beams, “I'd like to check the Music Department's building since that's where most of my classes will be, but I'll go with you if you wanna see other places!”

“No need. Most of my classes are going to be held there too.” Chan answers.

“You're a music major too? That is _so_ cool.” Changbin grins wider, doing a little victory dance.

Chan doesn't deny that his roommate’s enthusiasm and brightness put a small smile on his face. He chuckles lightly, nodding in response, “Music Production.”

“No way! I'm majoring in that too!” Changbin nearly squeals in happiness, clutching his phone tightly, “Alright, my mom’s gonna kill me if I don’t update her, so let me just make a call then let's grab some lunch.”

When Chan nods, his roommate flashes one more grin before excusing himself and stepping out into the hallway to call his mother. Chan watches the door click shut. At least the first few hours of his first day in college wasn't that bad yet. What could go wrong with a chirpy music major roommate, right?

When Changbin came back from calling his mom, he looked towards Chan. With an excited grin, Changbin gestures towards the door, “So...lunch? I heard there's a really nice restaurant somewhere inside the campus.”

Chan nods, getting up from his bed. As soon as he's on his feet, Changbin wraps an arm around his shoulders and ushers him towards the hall. Chan notices the wide grin present on his roommate’s face as he talks about the music he wants to produce, and somehow, it gives Chan a small spark of excitement despite initially thinking that his first year in college was going to be bad. At least he had someone to geek over music with, something he didn’t really have before.

 _“Then again, it's still too early to tell.”_ Chan thinks to himself, eyes suddenly cast onto the floor as Changbin continues to talk.

* * *

✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦

“I’ll have to let you know that I may or may not randomly crash on your bed especially if I'm tired.” Minho laughs as he flings his backpack onto his bed, “A bed’s a bed, so it’s not gonna matter to me.”

His roommate smiles and shakes his head, “Nah, that's fine. I welcome it. It's not every day you get to be roommates with an Instagrammer or whatever.”

“Oh, come on. I'm not that big of a deal.” Minho smirks, “I'm Minho, Business Administration major.”

The other male grins, giving Minho a high-five, “I’m Jisung, majoring in Sociology.”

“Hmmm, a social science kid.” the taller male hums, plopping down to his bed, “l gotta be honest with you...that sounds kinda boring.”

Jisung shrugs, expression still bright. Minho's glad he didn't take offense. “It depends on the person, but yeah, I know a lot of people who said the same thing.” he laughs, “It can be pretty boring, trust me, but I just find it interesting to see how people interact in society and how it impacts everything.”

Minho finds his lips curling into an amused smile, “Cool, cool. I like your passion.”

Jisung chuckles, “And you? Why business?”

“My dad.” Minho admits, rolling his eyes as he lies down, “Technically, I'm majoring in business because he wants me to work for the family business…all that stupidly cliché stuff.”

His roommate hums, eyes wide with curiosity, “Let me guess...you wanted to major in something like art or music but they weren't supportive?"

“No, I wanted to be a potato.”

At that, the two males break out into bubbly laughter that fills the room. Minho then clears his throat, smiling as he speaks, “l don't mind taking business, but I'm not doing it for my dad. I'm doing it for me.”

"Sounds promising. Well, good luck!" Jisung chuckles.

Minho smiles for a few seconds, responding to a few messages he received. He then holds his phone up as if showing Jisung something, “I'm going to grab some lunch with my friends. You wanna join? They won't mind.”

“Really?” his roommate grins, “l am super hungry.”

Minho stands up, shoving his phone in his pocket before his lips curl into another feline-like smile, “l hope the food here's good.”

Jisung shrugs, following him out the door, “All I know is that there are actually cafes and small restaurants in-campus.”

“They could have added a bar or something while they were at it.”

“Ah, maybe you could petition.”

“Maybe I should.”

* * *

✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦

“Hwang Hyunjin!” Minho calls out to a tall male, “Who’s that?”

Hyunjin walks over to Minho who is standing near a minimalist-looking café. “My roommate, Felix. Lix, this is Minho, my friend from like… _the Stone Age._ ” Hyunjin smiles cheekily.

“You’re hilarious. My insides hurt so much.” Minho fakes a smile before waving at the freckled male, “Hi, I’m Minho. Been friends with him since middle school.”

Felix laughs warmly, nodding his head, “You both do seem super close.”

Hyunjin nods approvingly and quite proudly before waving at the shorter male next to Minho, “You must be his roommate then. I’m Hyunjin!”

The other male laughs, nodding at Hyunjin's lavender, soft-looking sweater, “Yeah, I’m Jisung. Nice sweater, by the way.”

“Thanks, Jeongin - our other friend - gave it to me for my birthday last year.”

“Why do I hear Hyunjin talking about me again? Don’t bad-mouth me.”

The four males turn to see a male with sharp eyes and a fox-like grin approaching them as he waves. The newcomer says a soft _“hi”_ before letting out a chuckle, “Minho said we’d all be having lunch together? I’m Jeongin, Biology major.”

“That is intense. Good luck with that.” Jisung chuckles, “I’m Jisung, Minho’s roommate.”

Felix smiles back, his eyes wrinkling at the sides as he does so, “Lee Felix, Hyunjin’s roommate.”

Jeongin laughs before pretending to pout, “You all brought your roommates? Now I feel worse.”

“Where’s yours?” Minho asks curiously as he tilts his head, “Too cute you don’t want to share with us?”

“As if.” Jeongin scrunches his face playfully, “He said he had something to do. Something about the Political Science department.”

Minho pretends to shudder, “Your roommate sounds _scary_ , I take it back.”

“Nah, he’s cool. Just very…smart and looks like the type who’s super dedicated to his future career.” Jeongin hums, shaking his head, “No matter, I’ll be sure to drag him along next time.”

“Yup. Now, let’s go in the café? I’m starving.” Hyunjin clasps his hands together.

Minho’s lips curl into a feline-like smile as he nods his head towards the café’s door, “My treat, let’s go!”

Jeongin and Hyunjin happily celebrate and shout little “yay’s” as they enter the café. Felix looks at Minho with wide and quite cute eyes before squealing a quick “thank you” and following the other two inside. Jisung hugs Minho’s arm, pretending to cry his heart out, “What did I do to deserve a roommate like you?”

Minho laughs, shaking his head in amusement as they both enter the café as well. “No big deal, my friend.” the taller male laughs, face brightening up at the sight of all the delicious cakes on display at the café counter.

* * *

✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦

**_Next day_ **

Starting your first day in college isn’t anything spectacular. It’s just like every other day where you wake up, get dressed, maybe grab some breakfast, and rush to your classroom. No need to stress over what outfit matches your shoes or how your hair should be styled for a difference.

_That’s how Chan saw it anyway._

After he and Changbin got dressed and ready, they went over to the Music Department’s building where the other majors were also bustling about. The upperclassmen seemed indifferent, going on about their day like everyone would; funnily, a few seniors were asleep in their classrooms, unbothered by the lectures happening. The first years, excluding Chan and Changbin, were either way too excited or lost in the large building. “My first class is in Room 220.” Changbin says, shrugging, “You?”

“220.” Chan says simply, offering Changbin a small smile.

His roommate grins from ear to ear, chuckling, “Thank goodness I know someone at least. The whole _‘introduce yourself’_ while not knowing a single soul in class is absolute torture.”

Chan has to chuckle at his statement because he was thinking the same thing yesterday, “That’s actually a really good way to put it.”

Changbin then slings his arm around Chan’s shoulder and soon, the two are climbing up the stairs and heading for their first class. When finally seated in the classroom, Changbin turned to Chan to ask, “What do you think we’re expected to do as first years? Do you think we get to make music already?”

“I guess?” Chan replies with a shrug, “I highly doubt we’d dedicate our first year to doing general subjects like math and science.”

“You bet. I had enough of that in high school.” Changbin laughs, “Maybe as electives…but still. I just want the music stuff to start.”

Chan’s lips curl into a subtle smirk, “Same thoughts.”

A few minutes later, more students began to flood into the room and occupy the seats. The professor then entered the room, officially starting the first class of their first year in Yellow Wood University.

After a few more classes, two of which he shared with Changbin, Chan felt like he wanted nothing but to lie down on his bed and doze off. Maybe listen to music, but he wanted to go back to the dorms or have time to himself. While walking down one of the hallways of the department building, Changbin let out a pleased “oh, cool”. He then showed his phone screen to Chan who was beside him.

“The school’s music organization is holding an additional orientation of sorts. It’s completely optional, but music majors are invited to attend for anything department-related.” Changbin shares, wiggling his eyebrows at Chan.

Chan gives him a small smile, scrunching his nose to express his reluctance, “I’m not too fond of things like that.”

Changbin playfully rolls his eyes, shaking his phone, “We might get some cool perks or benefits from attending this, man.”

“I know, but I don’t really like going to gatherings like those.” Chan admits quietly, “But you should go if you really want to. I’ll be fine.”

“If you say so.” his roommate shrugs, “Text me if you change your mind! You have my number anyway.”

“Noted.” Chan offers a small and apologetic smile, “Thanks.”

Changbin grins back, patting Chan’s back before they exit the Music Department’s building. From there, Changbin says his goodbye and waves at Chan before heading the opposite direction. Chan gives him a single wave before turning on his heel, walking towards the dorms. 

* * *

✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦

Minho just finished his last class, but since his friends and roommate all had their own activities and tasks, he decided to just return to the dorms. Maybe he could binge watch some dance videos or some cat compilation video.

While walking across their large campus, Minho takes note of one of the statues situated in the quadrangle. Curious, the male begins to read the placard that explains the person’s life and contribution, etc. “Bet Hyunjin can do all this in less than a week.” the male jokes light-heartedly. 

Not really caring, Minho scoffs to himself and begins to turn on his heel. However, before he can even make a move to leave, someone bumps into his side. Minho responds calmly, raising an eyebrow as he looks at the figure in question.

“Sorry.” the figure mumbles, looking up from his phone.

The two, however, stare with mixed reactions. Minho smirks rather mischievously, and the other person narrows his eyes in frustration.

_“I know you!”_

_“Oh come on.”_

Minho clears his throat, smiling widely as he shoves his hands in his pockets, “You… _you!_ I know you! Wait…you’re the guy from the orientation this morning!”

Chan sighs, looking away from the enthusiastic male, “You _saw_ me, but you don’t know me.”

“Whatever.” Minho rolls his eyes, lips curling into a feline-like smile, “You’re the cutie who shot me a death-glare.”

“Because you winked.”

“Why? What’s wrong with winking? Is it a crime?”

“I - ” Chan sighs, shaking his head, “You don’t exactly just wink at people randomly.”

Minho shrugs, “I winked ‘cause you were cute.”

Chan looks at Minho with an unamused and clearly unimpressed expression, but the latter only laughs. Minho winks once more, chuckling lightly, “If I wink at you, that means I find you cute. Simple. My friends know that.”

“Still.” Chan nearly groans, reaching his limit and perhaps wanting to slap some sense into the confident male.

“Well, now that you’ve been winked at and we’ve been talking for quite a while - ”

Chan intercepts, “It hasn’t even been a minute.”

“Shush.” Minho rolls his eyes, “I’m Minho.”

The male reaches his hand out for a handshake but Chan ignores it and decides to make a move to walk away. Before he can move a muscle Minho blocks his path, smirking as he says, “Nice to meet you, cutie.”

“Stop calling me that.” Chan sighs in exasperation.

“ _Then tell me your name._ Easy as that.” Minho crosses his arms.

Chan releases a deep breath, voice deadpan much to Minho’s amusement, “Chan.”

“Oh, the ‘C’ in ‘Chan’ stands for ‘cutie’.” Minho smirks, “Cutie Chan. Chan the Cutie.”

When Minho sees the displeasure painted on Chan’s face, he raises an eyebrow, “What? Do you want _Chan the Hottie? Sexy Chan?_ That could work for you as well.” he finishes with a wink.

Chan openly rolls his eyes, looking at Minho with a stern expression that doesn’t hide his irritation. “Are you done?” he demands.

Minho winks, patting Chan’s shoulder, “Not quite, but I’ll let you off for now. Pretty sure I’ll still see you around campus.”

“Highly doubt that.” Chan fakes a smile, nodding as he walks past Minho, making it a point to express his irritation in his steps.

Minho watches Chan walk away, the latter's lonely figure quite difficult to forget. As his lips curl into an amused and quite mischievous smile, Minho thinks to himself, _“Well, a mysterious man is sexy.”_


	2. Hot & Cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Trigger Warning for this Chapter:** None

"No, but really," Minho laughs, hands shoved into his jean pockets, "I’m not too fond of lattes or anything of that sort."

"See? I completely understand you!" Jisung chuckles, "I love iced americano. I could drink it all day, I swear."

Minho quirks an eyebrow, smirking, "Are you sure we aren’t long-lost twins or brothers?"

His friend laughs, eyes filled with brightness, "We really do vibe with each other. Funny how we’re even roommates. I heard they used to group roommates based on their majors."

"That’s boring." Minho shrugs, "If you’re the same major, chances are, you see each other in almost every class. Being in different majors and roomed randomly is a bit more thrilling, I’d say."

The shorter male nods, flashing a grin, "Honestly, you’re a really cool roommate."

"Are you flattering me?" Minho teases.

The other male feigns offense, bringing a hand to his chest, "How dare you? I mean it!"

Minho’s laugh is crisp and clear as he gently slaps Jisung’s shoulder, "Kidding, kidding. You’re a cool roommate too."

"And to think we’ve only known each other for what…two days?" Jisung laughs along.

The taller male smirks, making him look very feline-like, "We just clicked, that’s why. Better than me having some creepy dude or boring loser."

Jisung raises an eyebrow, "What if it were Hyunjin or Jeongin?"

"I’ve been friends with Hyunjin since middle school, and Jeongin since high school." Minho smiles, " _Too much_ of them can get tiring."

At that, Jisung laughs and nods in understanding. "They’re nice guys though. When we all went out for lunch the other day. So was the Felix guy."

"True. It’s funny - " Minho says, but his eyes trail over to a pair walking towards their direction.

The pair were busy talking, the male with paler skin seemingly calm while his companion flailed his arms around enthusiastically.

"If it isn’t the cutie." Minho hums loud enough for the pair to hear.

At that, the pale-skinned male looks up, his eyes filled with dread. His companion looks up as well, eyes wide with curiosity. Jisung looks at Minho, smiling, "You know them?"

"A bit. The other one was the cute guy I told you about." When Jisung raises an eyebrow in confusion, Minho continues, "The one from orientation. The one who glared like a murderer when I winked."

"Oh, yeah! Right, him."

Much to Chan’s displeasure, Changbin unknowingly walks over to the other two, smiling as he waves. "Are you Chan’s friends?" he asks warmly.

Minho smirks, raising an eyebrow rather in a flirtatious manner, "You could say that."

"We aren’t _friends_." Chan mutters under his breath, looking at Minho with a "please shut up" face.

Jisung chuckles lightly, his grin wide as he greets the two newcomers, "Apparently Minho knows him, so…yeah. I’m Jisung, by the way. You already met Minho, I guess."

Minho flashes Changbin a charismatic smirk before turning his attention to an internally-screaming Chan. Changbin doesn’t notice and ends up just grinning at Jisung’s introduction.

"Oh, Minho’s pretty famous on Instagram, so I knew when I saw his face." he says, making Minho smile and point a finger-gun, "I’m Seo Changbin. Nice to meet you both."

"Seo Changbin? I know all about your dad!" Jisung pauses after he squeals aloud, "Ok, not _‘know’_. That sounds wrong. I’m…familiar with your dad’s work!"

Changbin chuckles, smiling proudly, "He’s a good producer, right? Ah, I really look up to him."

Minho crosses his arms, looking at Changbin with awe, "Mr. Seo kept family and personal matters private most of the time, but I’m sure he taught you a lot of what he knows."

"Kind of."

"Oh, then you’ve produced tracks already?" Jisung inquires cheerfully.

Changbin chuckles sheepishly, "Slight, yeah. Nothing spectacular, I guess." he gestures towards Chan, "I also promised to let Chan hear them when I was confident enough."

Chan merely smiles, nodding his head in testament to Changbin’s words. Minho hums, his smile never fading. "So I assume you’re both music majors?" the tallest male gauges.

Changbin gives a thumbs up, "Music Production, both of us. We’re roommates too, can you imagine that?"

"Cool! Minho and I never met but we’re roommates too." Jisung adds.

"What are your majors…" Changbin trails off before laughing, "…wait, we’re really chatting in the middle of the quadrangle?"

Minho laughs at this, gesturing somewhere, "We can continue this in a cafe nearby. Jisung and I discovered it when we first had lunch. I’ll treat you all."

"Again? You really don’t have to." Jisung smiles.

Minho pats his shoulder, "Don’t worry about it."

"If it’s really fine with you, that sounds great." Changbin nods, "We just finished classes."

Chan is about to protest and say something, but Changbin cuts him off with a cheeky grin. "You’re not squirming out of this one, Chan! You already skipped on the music organization orientation."

Chan looks at his roommate with pleading eyes, but the other male can only chuckle and gaze back with puppy-dog eyes. Jisung lets out a soft chuckle as he observes, and Minho slings an arm around Chan’s shoulder. "You should come too." Minho winks, "It’s not everyday I get to treat someone so cute."

Chan looks at Minho with irritation, "Then treat Changbin, he’s cute, right?"

Changbin laughs, looking at Jisung with an "what’s he going on about" expression, and Jisung just laughs with him. Minho shrugs, lips curling into his signature cat-smile, "He’s cute, but _you’re_ my type, so you’re cuter."

If Chan let his guard down, a shade of pink would have dusted at his cheeks. But he doesn’t let that happen anyway.

"And you’re _not_ my type so maybe you should stop flirting." Chan says, straight-faced.

Minho doesn’t seem fazed, leaning his face closer to Chan’s as he whispers between the two of them, "It’ll take more than that to stop me, cutie."

"I have a name."

"Cutie Chan."

Before Chan can spit an insult or snarky remark, Jisung clears his throat and gestures to a certain direction, "We should probably go before students flood the cafe!"

"My best friend is right." Minho winks at Chan before turning to Changbin, "Let’s go?"

Jisung leads the way with Minho right beside him, resuming their conversation about lattes and iced americano. Chan took the opportunity to sneak away, but Changbin is quick to grab his wrist. With a warm and encouraging smile, he relays an unspoken message of "it’ll be fine, it’ll fun".

Without much of a choice, Chan lets his roommate loop his arm around his, tugging him along to follow the other two walking ahead. _So much for avoiding large friend groups._

After Minho paid for everyone’s orders, the four males carried their trays of drinks and desserts to a table by the corner. The windows of the cafe were draped with sheer, nearly translucent curtains that let the afternoon colors trickle inside and paint the interior walls.

Once seated, Jisung took a bite of his cheesecake before speaking, "Uh, what was your question earlier?"

Changbin chuckles, "What are your majors?"

"Business Administration." Minho smiles, leaning back on his chair as he sips on his iced americano.

"Oh, you do have a very…business-y or CEO vibe to you. Cool." Changbin points out, causing Minho to smirk.

Jisung puffs his cheeks out and responds next, "Sociology. I know, a lot of people say it’s boring but…" he looks at Minho, smiling as the taller male looks at him fondly, "I still like it."

Changbin shakes his head, offering an equally warm smile, "Sociology isn’t boring if you enjoy it, so don’t mind what others think. It’s cool that you’re majoring in something you genuinely like."

At that, Jisung beams, a bright shimmer in his eyes very much evident. He nods his head excitedly, pointing at Changbin with his fork, "I’m glad you see it that way! My friend’s from high school were all making fun of me."

Upon hearing this, Chan stops fiddling with his straw and looks up at Jisung, offering barely-there smile, "They were probably jealous ‘cause they didn’t have the same passion and enthusiasm as you."

Changbin pats Chan’s back and says something about agreeing with him before he and Jisung begin to talk about the latter’s high school. Meanwhile, Chan returns to boredly picking at the slice of cake he ordered, only looking up when Minho says _"Cutie."_

With Chan’s attention now on him, Minho’s smirk melts into a gentler smile, "That’s the most I’ve heard you speak."

"Don’t get used to it." Chan looks down, clearing his throat.

Minho hums, his lips pouting in the slightest manner as he raises a brow, "I like it though."

Chan looks up at him in confusion, eyebrows knit together as a _"what are you talking about"_ expression paints his face. Minho chuckles, his eyes holding swirls of genuine intrigue, "You have a nice voice. Your speaking voice...it’s nice to listen to, I mean."

For a split-second, Chan lets himself be vulnerable as a warm tint glazes his dark eyes and a soft comfort washes over him. Minho can easily see it, but just as quick as it happened, it quickly disappears, and Chan is back to his stone-faced expression. "Thank you." Chan says quietly and without much feeling. But Minho can tell he was sincere, and he has to lightly scoff, his airy chuckle only audible to himself.

Just then, the cafe’s door opens with the tinkle of the small bell, followed by an _"oh, you’re here!"_ from a familiar voice.

The group of four then turn to the voice, only to be met with Hyunjin and Jeongin. Minho waves them over, smiling lazily, "Thought you both had classes?"

"Finished early today." Jeongin laughs, "Then I bumped into Hyunjin and we both decided to grab a snack here."

Hyunjin smiles, ruffling Minho’s hair much to his annoyance. The tall male then waves at the other two music majors and says, "You’re both new! Minho’s friends? Jisung’s friends?"

"Oh, neither." Changbin laughs gently, "Apparently Minho ‘met’ Chan - " he gestures to the quiet male beside him before continuing, " - already. We bumped into each other at the quadrangle. You must be Hyunjin and Jeongin."

Jeongin smiles, eyes wide with curiosity, "How’d you know us?"

"If you know Minho, chances are you’re familiar with the two best friends he's always seen with on social media." Changbin winks.

Hyunjin nods approvingly, giving Changbin a finger-gun, "You, my friend, are a good man. What’s your name?"

"Changbin." the male says with a smile, gripping Hyunjin’s hand for a handshake.

Jeongin looks at Chan and tilts his head, "You are…?"

"Chan." the male responds curtly, smiling just a little.

"He’s the guy I winked at during orientation." Minho adds in a casual manner, mischievous smirk making Changbin and Jisung stifle a laugh.

"Oh." Hyunjin looks at Chan from head to toe, smiling warmly yet cheekily, "You’re _exactly_ Minho’s type; no wonder he winked."

Chan sighs, pouting his lip in disapproval, "Or so I heard."

Jeongin laughs, putting a gentle hand on Chan’s shoulder, "It’s just a Minho thing, don’t worry about it. You’ll get used to it."

"Go get something, whatever." Minho hums, giving his wallet to Hyunjin.

The taller male laughs, taking the wallet and grabbing Jeongin’s wrist to drag the smiling boy to the counter. Jisung tilts his head, grinning as he inquires, "You trust them with your wallet? A wallet full of money and your cards?"

"I trust them with my life." Minho says definitively with a small smile, and everyone at the table could see the fondness and sincerity in his eyes, "In high school, the three of us would usually have a schedule for when we’d take turns in treating each other to meals or snacks."

Changbin nods, a soft chuckle escaping his lips, "That’s nice."

When the other two return with their own cakes and drinks, Jeongin settles beside Minho while Hyunjin sits next to Chan. The group then begins to converse with each other casually, sharing their experiences with their majors ever since classes started.

They then talk about the places they have or haven’t seen within the campus, as well as the malls and establishments outside the campus that were just nearby. The conversation then went in a more serious direction with the boys talking about how they became influencers or what it was like for Changbin to be the son of such a known producer.

Chan was quiet most of the time - despite Changbin and Minho trying to get him to speak up, but he was surely listening to what everyone was saying. He’s always been more of an "observer", and he was often content with that. That way, things weren’t going to go against him, right?

After a while, Jisung excuses himself for his evening class while Hyunjin and Jeongin return to their rooms. Since Chan, Changbin and Minho’s rooms were on the same floor of the dorms, they went up the stairs together. To their surprise, their rooms were merely three rooms away, much to Chan’s despair and Minho’s amusement. They stop at Room 121 - Chan and Changbin’s room- but before the two roommates can open their door, Changbin’s phone rings. He checks the caller ID and offers his roommate a sheepish smile, "Mom’s calling. You go on ahead. See you around, Minho!"

With that, Changbin answers the call and walks away somewhere where he can speak to his mother. Minho is quick to notice how a blanket of uneasiness surrounds Chan and decides to try and alleviate him.

"Our rooms are surprisingly close to each other’s." Minho leans against the wall, crossing his arms, "Destiny? Are we made for each other?"

"Don’t you ever shut up?" Chan groans, massaging his temples.

Minho chuckles lightly, pushing himself off the wall and reaching out to massage Chan’s temples as well. "Stress? I can help with that." he laughs.

Minho meant it to be playful and friendly, but Chan’s mind somehow registered as something much more suggestive and risque than intended. This makes him push Minho’s hands away, angry eyes locking with Minho’s surprised ones. "You’re disgusting." Chan snaps.

Minho’s eyes widen with shock, but he masks it with a pout of his lip. He shoves his hands in his pockets and states, "That’s…that’s not what I meant."

Chan sighs, shaking his head as he types the passcode to his room door, "Just leave me alone, Minho. Just…stop it."

With that, Chan enters his room and shuts the door gently yet firmly as if trying to get his message to Minho. However, the other male stands in the hallway, eyes glued to the closed door that had a small "121" sign stuck on it.

"What goes on, Channie?" Minho smirks to himself, a determined blaze igniting sparks in the stars of his eyes before his expression ultimately softens, "Will you ever let anyone in?"

* * *

**\- The next day -**

_**[A/N: full paragraphs in italics means a flashback]** _

_Chan liked it when his parents were at work and weren’t home. He liked it when his older brother was in the dorms and wasn’t home either. He simply liked having the house to himself because everything was much more peaceful that way._

_He was leaning against the kitchen counter, holding a bottle of juice in one hand as his other one was scrolling through his phone. He was searching the possible universities he wanted to enter after he graduated high school. Because he was too busy with what he was doing, he didn’t notice another figure approaching him._

_The next thing he knew, someone snatched his bottle of juice. Chan looked up, narrowing his eyes at the figure, realizing that his older brother’s break had started, “Hey, get your own.”_

_“Come on.” the figure laughed, chugging a great amount of the juice, “Is that the right way to speak to your older brother?”_

_“Kiwoo,” Chan started, rolling his eyes and demanding for his older brother to return his drink, “cut it out.”_

_The older male scoffed, a haughty smile curling at his lips. He then moved closer to Chan, reaching his hand out to mess with his younger brother’s hair. Chan’s hair is messed up and ruffled all over, causing Kiwoo to laugh as he shoved the juice battle back in Chan’s hand._

_Chan glared, pushing his older brother’s hand away from his hair. This caused the older male to fake a look of surprise, eyes wide with mock-innocence, “I’m just being a nice big bro, problem?”_

_The younger male scoffed, rolling his eyes as he turned his attention to his phone, “Nice big bro? Tell me one time you were actually and genuinely nice to me.”_

_Kiwoo merely laughed at the statement, shaking his head as he trudged over to the fridge. At his silence, Chan mumbled, “Exactly. Pretty sure you treat everyone in your stupid college like this as well.”_

_“Hmm…” Kiwoo hummed as he looked for something to eat, “my ‘stupid college’ is filled with ‘stupid kids’, so why would I need to be nice?”_

_“How could you call people ‘stupid’ so casually like that? You’re horrible.” Chan grimaced, feeling the disgust in his stomach._

_He felt a solid object hitting the top of his head, so he looked up to see that Kiwoo had thrown an apple at him. Chan narrowed his eyes at his older brother’s immature actions, but Kiwoo merely shrugged and grinned._

_“Because they are stupid, Channie.” his older brother said, “Losers who aren’t good at anything. Losers who aren’t going to survive in the real world after graduation.”_

_“Nonsense. You’re in Yellow Wood University - you can’t just get admitted with money and bribes like that. Grades, intellect, and skills matter.” Chan sighed._

_Kiwoo laughed, crossing his arms, “So? A lot of them are still puny compared to me...and maybe some friends.”_

_“I can’t wait for you to go back to the dorms.” Chan muttered under his breath, walking past his older brother and heading for his bedroom._

_His older brother smirked, calling out deviously, “Mom and Did will still miss me even if you’re here at home with them!”_

_Chan stopped in his tracks somewhere in the hallway, away from Kiwoo’s sight. He clenched his fists, aware of the familiar feeling of anger and hurt rushing through his veins._

_He really couldn’t wait for his brother to leave._

Chan feels something - or someone - shaking him, and he opens his eyes immediately. He’s met with a half-dressed Changbin who is holding a scrunched-up shirt in his hands. His roommate says something about getting ready for class, but Chan doesn’t completely process his words.

Was he dreaming earlier? Not possible. What he was “dreaming” about certainly happened; it was clear as crystal. What he had recalled with his brother happened just last year. The only question was: why? Why was he thinking or recalling that?

Changbin notices how Chan had become quite dazed, eyes empty and half-lidded as he stared at the fluffy blanket covering his legs. His roommate tilts his head before grabbing something from his side of the room. “Chan, which should I wear?”

Chan breaks from his thoughts, turning his head to see Changbin holding up two shirts. “The gray one?” Chan says after yawning.

Changbin smiles, “Great. Now you should be getting ready too!”

Chan thinks for a second before it dawns on him that they had classes. “Shit, I forgot about class.” his eyes widen as he yanks his blanket away.

Thankfully, each room in Yellow Wood University’s dorms had a bathroom and didn’t have to use public or shared showers. Chan rushes into the bathroom and washes up before running out without a care. He ends up bumping his head on the door as he opens it, and Changbin has to stifle a laugh.

Chan sighs, rubbing the area of impact, but upon hearing Changbin trying his best to stifle his giggles, Chan finds himself holding back a smile. “Forget what you just saw.” Chan says, pursing his lips together.

Changbin ends up laughing either way, and the sounds that leave his mouth create a domino effect that has Chan chuckling as well. “Seo Changbin…” the pale-skinned male clears his throat, trying not to smile, “…not a word.”

“No promises.” his roommate grins, shaking his head in amusement.

Chan lets out an airy chuckle before removing his sleepwear and getting dressed into more appropriate clothes. Both he and Changbin get their things and eventually head out of their room, laughing and joking about Chan’s hidden clumsiness. 

Changbin and Chan sit beside each other, talking about things they were excited to work on or do throughout their college years. Almost everyone in the class had someone or a group they were close to or familiar with, so they stuck to those groups. Chan was more than content to have just Changbin in his circle of friends.

_Then he remembered Minho. And Jisung. And Hyunjin and Jeongin._

The last three were seemingly…normal and typical friendly guys. Minho, on the other hand, had Chan puzzled. In a span of a week, Minho had winked and flirted almost non-stop with him, and Chan wasn’t quite sure if the latter was doing that to be annoying…or he really had some other motive.

Nonetheless, he couldn’t seem to forget the way Minho’s smile was extremely charming or the way his eyes were dazzling like glittery stars. He couldn't forget how Minho's voice was like soothing honey. He for sure couldn’t seem to forget how Minho’s small hands felt extremely soft against his temples when the latter attempted to “massage” his headache away.

And suddenly, Chan felt guilty for snapping at the confident male. _Why was he feeling like this all of a sudden?_

He then found himself lost in his thoughts once more, but Changbin was quick to break him from his trance. “Hey, remember Jisung?” Changbin asks in a whisper.

“Yeah.” Chan nods, looking over to Changbin’s phone.

“He messaged me and asked if you wanted to be added to their group chat.” his roommate chuckles, “Minho made the gc and adds everyone he becomes friends with, apparently. They all want to add us both.”

Chan half-scoffs, half-laughs, “Minho already considers us friends? Enough to add us to a gc?”

“Hey,” Changbin raises a hand slightly, smiling, “Minho seems super friendly, and so does Jisung, Hyunjin, and Jeongin.”

“Fine.” Chan rolls his eyes playfully, “Don’t expect me to be active though. I never am in gcs.”

“Honestly, same, but it’s fun to have a gc.” Changbin laughs, turning his eyes to his phone screen as he replies to Jisung’s text.

“Seems like he’s gotten close to Jisung already.” Chan thinks to himself in amusement, chuckling upon remembering the puffy-cheeked male and his bright smiles.

A few minutes later, the professor walked into the room, starting the class promptly. The professor lectures about the basics of music theory, calling out students randomly for impromptu recitations. Chan did not want to be called whatsoever, but just like every student’s dilemma, fate seemed to play a prank on him as the professor chose Chan for the next question.

“Hmm…you.” the professor smiles, gesturing at Chan, “Can you differentiate consonance and dissonance?”

Chan gulps, hesitating to even open his mouth to speak. When the other students turn to him, Changbin smiles and silently cheers him on. In the end, Chan nods and musters a small smile, “Consonance and dissonance are when certain combinations of tones or notes are sounded together. Consonant notes are usually pleasant and sound good together. Dissonant notes cause tension and are often unpleasant.”

“Well said.” his professor grins, “Name?”

“Oh…” Chan hesitates for a second, invisible sweat forming at his temples and palms, “Bang Chan, sir.”

“Well said, Mr. Bang. Seems like you know a lot about music.” the professor nods in approval before returning to his lecture.

Changbin squeals quietly, squeezing Chan’s arm as he whispers, “Nice one!”

Chan offers a small and nervous smile before gluing his eyes to the desk in front of him. The rest of the lecture goes by without Chan being called another time. Changbin was called too, and he was able to answer perfectly as well. Chan tried to focus on the lecture, writing notes if needed. However, he could sense faint whispers from the students seated behind him despite his attempts to block out their hushed words.

After the professor concludes his lecture, the students get up and gather their things. Changbin is at the front of their classroom, asking the professor a few questions. Chan remains seated while waiting for him roommate, pretending to stare at his notes.

Some students remain by their desks as they pack their things up quite slowly. One student whispers to his friend in the lowest possible volume, but Chan still picks it up. “Hey…Bang sounds familiar. Wasn’t Bang Kiwoo famous for being Yellow Wood University’s heartthrob?” the student whispers.

His friend responds, “That’s what I heard from the upperclassmen! He’s supposed to be a senior this year, but he transferred to a school abroad.”

“I heard he did that ‘cause of the bullying rumors.” another students pipes in quietly, “He and his friends bullied someone to the point of - ”

“Shh!” a girl shushes them and mutters under her breath, “There’s a Bang in this class!”

“You think they’re related? The upperclassmen did say Kiwoo had a younger brother!”

“Now that you mention it, there is a resemblance…”

“Oh my, do you think he’s anything like Kiwoo if they are related?”

When Chan pretends to cough and stretch his arms, the students suddenly shush each other and pack their things quicker. The group are then saying goodbye to the professor and leaving the classroom. Chan feels his heartbeat quickening and palms sweating as his hands shake in the slightest. _Was it anger? Nervousness? Shame?_

He couldn’t quite determine what it was as Changbin jogged towards him. “Next class, let’s go?” his roommate grins.

Chan offers a small smile and nods, shoving his thoughts to the back of his mind, “Let’s go.”

Chan and Changbin went with their last two classes normally, and thankfully, there were no on-the-spot recitations or anything like that. Chan tried his best to focus on the lectures, forcefully shoving away the thoughts that were eating at him.

_“Do you think he’s anything like Kiwoo if they are related?”_

He remembered the student’s question. It made him scoff to himself, feeling like he wanted to speak up when the student asked that.

_No way was he going to be compared to his older brother. Never in his life._

At the end of the day, Changbin asked if he wanted to eat dinner with him, and Chan agreed. The two roommates decided to buy food from a nearby convenience store and eat at one of the areas of campus that had outdoor chairs and tables for the students.

After they ate and talked about their recent lectures, the two went back to their dorm rooms and did their own things. Changbin decided to take an early shower, so he had gone to the bathroom. Chan connected his AirPods to his phone and relaxed as his playlist played.

However, just as he was about to doze off, his phone rang with a notification from his e-mails. Sighing, Chan unlocked his phone and checked whatever it was.

> _Greetings, students!_
> 
> _This e-mail has been sent to the whole student body to advise everyone that a student assembly will be held tomorrow at exactly 10:00 AM. This is to address the appointment of a new university president as Mr. Park, the previous one, has resigned. More information and questions will be answered during the assembly. The venue will be Eastwood Auditorium. Attendance is mandatory._
> 
> _Sincerely,_
> 
> _Ms. Yoo_
> 
> _Secretary, Office of the President_

At the exact moment, Changbin stepped out of the bathroom with a towel thrown over his wet hair. “Hey…Bin.” Chan calls his roommate over, “Is this normal?”

Changbin goes over to Chan and sits on his bed, reading the e-mail his friend received. Afterwards, he gets his own phone and hums in response. “I got the same one too.” Changbin says, “I wonder why.”

Not many minutes later, both their phones rang with notifications from the groupchat Jisung added them into. The other boys were asking if everyone received the same e-mails, to which everyone said they did. Minho and Changbin voiced their curiosity but decided to settle that the former university president probably had his reasons. Minho continued to "flirt" with Chan even through their groupchat, much to his displeasure, but Jeongin playfully told them to stop. 

Not paying much attention to Minho's messages in the groupchat, Chan could only wonder why he felt more uneasy than usual. 

_Maybe he was still adjusting to the college life._

_He just left it at that before returning to his music._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another update! I want to put it out there that Kiwoo is a 100% fictional character who does not represent anyone in real life! Chan does not have an older brother, we know that. Kiwoo was made mainly and only for the purpose of this story! I promise you, things will get more intense(?) and less chill soon! Hope you enjoyed!


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